Happy Cinco De Mayo 2012!

The holiday of Cinco De Mayo, The 5th Of May, commemorates the victory of the Mexican militia over the French army at The Battle Of Puebla in 1862. It is primarily a regional holiday celebrated in the Mexican state capital city of Puebla and throughout the state of Puebla, with some limited recognition in other parts of Mexico, and especially in U.S. cities with a significant Mexican population. It is not, as many people think, Mexico's Independence Day, which is actually September 16.

Today's Celebration: For the most part, the holiday of Cinco de Mayo is more of a regional holiday in Mexico, celebrated most vigorously in the state of Puebla. There is some limited recognition of the holiday throughout the country with different levels of enthusiasm, but it's nothing like that found in Puebla. Celebrating Cinco de Mayo has become increasingly popular along the U.S.-Mexico border and in parts of the U.S. that have a high population of people with a Mexican heritage. In these areas the holiday is a celebration of Mexican culture, of food, music, beverage and customs unique to Mexico. 

Commercial interests in the United States and Mexico have also had a hand in promoting the holiday, with products and services focused on Mexican food, beverages and festivities, with music playing a more visible role as well. Several cities throughout the U.S. hold parades and concerts during the week following up to May 5th, so that Cinco de Mayo has become a bigger holiday north of the border than it is to the south, and being adopted into the holiday calendar of more and more people every year.  (Source: The Mexico Online website. Retrieved May 1, 2012, from http://www.mexonline.com/cinco-de-mayo.htm)



Foods to Help Celebrate: Cinco de Mayo falls on Saturday this year. Create these HOT sweets to serve your family & friends when celebrating! The recipes are from REAL NEW MEXICO CHILE by Sandy Szwarc. Permission to print granted by Golden West Publishers, Phoenix, AZ.

PEANUT COOKIES WITH RED CHILE CRACKLE
Peanutty & chocolatey cookies with a touch of heat in the red chile sugar coating. While they bake the red sugar cracks, creating an interesting and colorful coating. If you like your cookies chewy, wrap them airtight while they are slightly warm. For crispier versions, let them cool completely before serving. They freeze well, wrapped airtight, if you can resist eating them hot from the oven!

• 1 cup BUTTER
• 1 cup freshly ground PEANUT BUTTER
• 1 cup SUGAR
• 1 cup packed BROWN SUGAR
• 2 large EGGS
• 1 tsp. VANILLA
• 3 cups WHOLE-WHEAT PASTRY or ALL-PURPOSE FLOUR
• 1 Tbsp. BAKING SODA
• 1 cup dry-roasted, skinless, unsalted PEANUTS
• 1 cup SEMISWEET CHOCOLATE CHIPS
• 2 Tbsp. NEW MEXICO RED CHILE POWDER
• ¼ cup SUGAR
• ¼ cup CAYENNE

In a large bowl, beat with a mixer the butter, peanut butter and 1 cup each of white and brown sugar until creamy. Beat in the eggs and vanilla. Stir in the flour and soda until well combined. Stir in the peanuts and chocolate chips. Cover the bowl and place it in the refrigerator for one hour.

In a small bowl, stir together the chile powder, ¼ cup sugar and cayenne. Lightly grease cookie sheets.

Take heaping tablespoons of the dough and roll into balls. Roll each ball in the chile sugar and place on the cookie sheets, allowing 2 inches between the cookies. Bake at 350 degrees for about 12 minutes until they are lightly golden and just set. Leave on the cookie sheet one minute, then remove with a spatula to a wire rack to cool.

Yields about 5 dozen cookies.


ORANGE FIRE CHOCOLATE CLUSTERS
These are a cross between a cookie and a candy. The rich chocolate binds the granola-like base. The chile heat is sweetened by the perfume of the oranges . These scrumptious bites will keep for a week in the refrigerator.

• 2 cups SUGAR
• ½ cup MILK
• ½ cup COCOA POWDER
• ½ cup BUTTER
• 1 Tbsp. NEW MEXICO RED CHILE POWDER
• 1/8 tsp. CAYENNE
• 1 tsp. VANILLA
• 1-2/3 cups ROLLED OATS
• 3/4 cup RAISINS
• 3/4 cup dry-roasted, skinless, unsalted PEANUTS
• 1-½ Tbsp. ORANGE LIQUEUR
• 1 Tbsp. ORANGE CONCENTRATE

In a large heavy saucepan, stir together the sugar, milk, cocoa and butter. Cook over low heat, stirring frequently, until the butter has melted. Continue to gently simmer for about 3 minutes until the mixture is thick and smooth. Remove from heat and stir in the remaining ingredients. Cool a few minutes. Butter a cookie sheet and drop the slowly thickening mixture by heaping teaspoonful onto the sheet. Place in the refrigerator for 1 hour until the clusters have set. Store in an airtight container in the refrigerator.

Yields about 3 dozen clusters.